Windmill governor



June l2, 1923.

L. C. VERGANO WINDMILL GOVERNOR Filed Jan.. 2l, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 12, 1923.

UNITED STATES LUI c. vERGANo, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

PATENTl WlNDMILL GOVERNOR.

Application filed January 21, 1922.

To all whom it may concern/:f

Be it known that I, LUI C. VnRGANo, a

new and useful Improvements in l/Vindmill Governors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such ask will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to windmills and more particularly to the governing mechanismvwhereby the same is thrown into or out of the wind, asrequired and according to the nature of the work to be performed.-

The invention provides a governor mechanism for windmills, which is'wholly automatic in action in throwing the engine into or out of the' wind and which requires no attention on part of the user, after the same has been properly adjusted, except that required for oiling and repairs.

Other objects and advantages will be ap.- parent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to be understood, that in adaptingV the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the a plication,

Figure 1 is a detail view of a windmill governor mechanism embodying the invention, showing the relation of the parts when the windmill is inactive or'out of the wind,

Figure 2 isa view-similar vtoFigure 1, showing the relationship of the parts when the windmill is in actionor thrown into the wind, Y' l Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2, with the windmill partly thrown into the wind, the rudder arm occupying a. position intermediate its extreme movements, i

Figure et is a detail view of a portion of a tank, the float therein and connecting means whereby to automatically trip the governor mechanism to prevent the overflow or the running dry of the tank,

Figure 5 is a detail view ofthe dogs which cooperate with the rudder arm to secure Serial No. 530,983.

the same and the reversing trip coacting I with said dogs, and

Figure 6 is an edge view of the parts shown in Figure 5the springscooperating therewith being omitted.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by .like reference characters.

rlhe numeral 15 designates the head of. a

windmill, which may be of any construction,

depending upon the make of the engine adapted .to be equipped with the governor mechanism. The numeral 16 designates the rudder arm which is pivoted to the `headl 15 in any well known manner and which carries the tail vane which holds the windmill either in or out of the wind, according to its relative position. Arms 17v and 18 are disposed relatively at a right-angle to each other and spring outwardly from the head 15.' A' curved bar 19 is attached to the arms A 'i 17 and 18 and its inner edge isprovided with teeth 20. rllhe toothed bar 19 is'disposed concentric with the airis of the rudder arm 16.- An arcuate bar 21 is mounted on the toothed bar 19 and has a limited circumferential movement relative to the bar. Slots 22, formed in the bar 21, receive screws 23, or like parts, carried bythe bar 19,

whereby to hold the bar 21 in placeA and at the limit of its movement in one direction.

The bar 21'is moved in the opposite direction against the tension of the spring24: by

means of a float 27 arranged to operate in a tank 28 and moved vertically bythe change of level of the wateruin the tank.

A lever 28 is pivoted near one end to a bracket 29 or other convenient support.y and the stem 30 of the lfloat 27 has adjustable connection therewith. A flexible connection 31, such as a cable, is connected at one end to the bar 21 and its opposite end is con?v nected lto the short arm of the lever 28,` a swivel joint 32 being in the length of the connection to revent twisting thereof incident to theplvotal movement of the windmill head 15. The flexible connection 31 the extreme movement to the left.

guide pulley 88 being at the outer end of the arm 17 and the guide pulley 34 being mounted. upon the head 15 with its inner side in line with the opening ot the head in coincident relation with the axis thereof, whereby to give proper direction to the vertical portion et the connection 81. `Wheu l the float 27 rises with the level of the water in t-he tank 28, the connection 31 is pulled upon, thereby moving the bar 21 against the tension of the spring 24, and when the oat descends, the connection 31 is relaxed,

thereby permitting the spring 24 to come into play to move the bar 21 in an opposite direction. Advantage is taken of the movements of the bar 21 to effect release of the rudder arm 16 at either extreme movement, whereby it is free to move in an opposite direction.

A plate 35 is secured to the rudder arm 16 and catches 6 and 7 are pivoted to opposite ends thereof. A. light spring 36 cooperates with each of the catches, whereby to press their inner ends outwardly. Dogs 8 and 9 are pivoted at their inner ends to the arm 16, and their outer ends are adapted to coact with the teeth 2O of the bar 19. The dogs 8 and 9 are mounted upon a stud or pin 37 carried by the arm 16. A trip 5 is pivotally mounted upon the element 37 and its outer end is connected to the dogs 8 and 9 by means of like contractile springs 38. The trip 5 controls the relative positions of the dogs 8 and 9 and the latter are reversed by the reversing of the trip 5, which is brought about by the action of the springs 88 in conjunction with the catches 6 and 7.

Trips 10 and 11 are pivoted at their outer ends to projections near opposite ends o't the toothed bar 19 and their inner ends are disposed in the path of the outer end ot the reversing trip 5. A contractile helical spring 39 cooperates with each of the trips l() and 11, these springs 39 having connection at their inner ends with the respective clips 10 and 11 and being connected at their outer ends to projections of the toothed bar 19. Then the rudder arm 16 is at the limit of its movement to the left, as indicated in Figure 1, the inner end of the trip 10 is in contact with the outer end of the trip 5 and the spring 39 is under tension. The trip 5 is held in the position indicated by the inner end of the catch 6 engaging a stop shoulder thereof at one end of a notch 40 formed in an edge of the trip. The dog 8 is in engagement with a tooth 20 of the bar 19, thereby holding the rudder arm 16 at With the parts in the position indicated in Figure 1, the windmill is out of the wind and conse# quently is inactive. Under these conditions, it is assumed that the tank 28 contains a proper supply of water and the spring 24 has been stretched. As the water recedes in the tank 28 and the level thereof lowers, the float 27 descends and the connection 31 relaxing permits the spring 24 to come into F play and move the trip bar 21 to the right and, as this movement takes place, the stop 13 approaches the outer end of the catch 6 and at the critical moment the catch '6 is tripped, thereby releasing the trip 5 which is reversed by a snap action by means of the trip 10 with the result that the dogs 8 and 9 are reversed, the dog 8 clearing the teeth 20 and the dog 9 engaging said teeth, where by to prevent a reverse movement of the rudder arm 16 as the same is advanced or moved to the right by the action of the air current. The reverse position of the parts is indicated in Figure 3. As the rudder arm 16 moves relatively to the right, the dog 9 ratchets over the teeth 20 and holds the arm 16 in the advance position and prevents backward movement thereof. It will thus be understood that the windmillis gradually brought into action or into the wind by the variations in the air currents, thereby obviating the necessity of' providing weights or springs usually employed for this purpose. extreme movement to the right, as indicated in Figure 2, the windmill is fully in the wind and operates to supplywater to the tank 28 in a mannerl well understood. When the rudder arm 16 occupies the position indicated in Figure 2, the spring 89 cooperating with the trip 11 is under tension and exerts a pressure on the reversing trip 5 through the trip 11. As the float 27 rises in the tank 28, the connection 31 is drawn upon and moves the trip bar 21 to the left against the tension of the spring 24- and during this movement the stop 12 approaches thel outer end of the catch 7 and at the critical moment the catch 7 is tripped, thereby releasing the trip 5, which is reversed by the action of the spring 39 coacting with the trip 11 and, as the trip 5 reverses, the dogs 8 and 9 likewise reverse,

When the rudder arm 16 reaches its whereby to admit of movement of the rudder tion, a trip bar for effecting release of the.

rudder arm at either extreme position thereof, means normally holding the trip bar at the limit of its movement in one direction,

and float operated means for electing positive movement of the trip bar in a reverse direction.

2. In a windmill embodying a pivoted rudder arm, a ratchet mechanism for securing the rudder arm in either of its eXtreme positions and to prevent retrograde movement thereoic when progressively advancing from one position 'to the other, a trip bar having a limited movement and adapted to reverse the ratchet mechanism, means normally holding the trip bar at the limit of its moveinent in one direction, andy ioat operated means for moving the trip bar in a reverse direction.

3. In a windmill including a pivoted rudder arm, holding means for securing the rudder arm at the limit of its movement in each direction, means for reversing the holding means, a trip mechanism including a bar, means normally holding said bar at the limit of its movement in one directon, and float operated means for reversing the movement of said bar.

4. In a windmill including a pivoted iud der arm, a toothed bar, oppositely disposed dogs carried by the rudder arm and adapted to cooperate with the toothed bar for securing the rudder arm in the required 'adjusted position, a reversing member for shifting the position of the dogs, whereby to throwone into and the other out of action, clutches for holding the reversing member in adjusted position, spring actuated trip. Vmembers adapted to eXert a pressure onA the reversing member to .eect positive movement thereof when released, whereby to reverse the said dogs, and a work-controlled trip member for effecting release of the reversing member.

5. In a windmill including a pivoted rudder arm, a toothed bar, opposed dogs -carried by the rudder arm and in cooperative relation with said toothed bar, a reversing member for shifting the relative position of the dogs, opposed catches carried by the rudder arm and adapted to hold the reversing member in the required adjusted position,

spring actuated trip members adapted to exert a pressure on said vreversing member ,when the rudder arm is at the limit of its movement in each direction, and' means for tripping the catches, whereby to release saidl reversing member which is automatically` member, a yieldable connection between the i reversing member and each or the said dogs,

opposed catches adapted to hold the revers-- ing member in either one of its extreme po'- sitions, spring actuated trip members adapted to engage and vcocperate with the revers-v ing member, andyineans for automatically tripping the said catches,whereby to release the reversing member which will eiiect a reversingorn the dogs by the action of the? trip member inl cooperative relation with the v reversing member.

" In a windmill embodying a pivoted rudder arm, 'a toothed bar carried by the'wind millhead and having its toothed portion concentric with the axis of the rudder arm,opl

posed dogscarried by the rudder arm and adapted to cooperate withthetoothed bar,

a reversing member, yieldable connections between the reversing member and dogs,op`lv posed catches :tor holding the reversing mem'- ber in either one or its eXtreme positions, spring actuated trips at opposite ends of the toothed bar, and a trip bar mounted upon the toothed bar andl adapted to effect release of the catchesto admit otreversing said doO's. f f

'In testimony whereor` I afx my signature l' in presence of two witnesses.

n LUI c. viiiieiiiio.

INitnesses:

L. MoLii'r'ro, E. OYLIARO. 

